InfrastructureLatest Stories

Housing Ministry: Plan to Launch 8 New Cities Unfeasible

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced to the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the initiative to develop eight new cities will not move forward as the 15th Finance Commission’s period ends on March 31, this year. The Rs 8,000-crore grant allocated by the Commission has remained unutilized over the past five years. The proposal indicated that each city would receive Rs 1,000 crore for its development, with each state eligible for only one city under this initiative. In a written response, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu stated that during…

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DTCP Dismantles Illegal Colonies and Structures in Gurugram

GURUGRAM: In a stern warning to encroachers, the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) conducted several demolition drives this week, targeting illegal constructions in Sadhrana, Bhondsi, and within a group housing society in Sector 89. A DTCP official stated that these actions are part of a heightened campaign against unauthorized plotting and building. “The objective of such drives is to curb encroachment at an early stage, ensuring buyers aren’t misled into purchasing in unauthorized developments,” he explained. The operations were supported by personnel from the Sector 10A and Bhondsi police stations. On Wednesday, an unauthorized colony in Sadhrana village…

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Pune allocates ₹954 crore for merged village development

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has proposed an allocation of approximately Rs 954 crore for the newly merged areas in its draft budget for 2026-27. This will be the first municipal budget since the recent elections of corporators from these regions, responding to urgent calls from residents and representatives to enhance infrastructure development. The budget, crafted by PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, is heavily reliant on expected revenue from building permissions and property taxes in these suburban areas. “We anticipate a significant revenue boost from building permits as development accelerates in these regions. Additionally, the PMC is expecting funding…

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UP allocates ₹425 crore for townships in 8 cities

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹425 crore for the development of new townships in eight major cities. Under the Chief Minister’s New Township Scheme, development authorities submitted proposals for funding to the state government. This allocation will act as seed capital for townships in Bareilly, Varanasi, Orai, Chitrakoot, Banda, Pratapgarh, Ghazipur, and Mau. The initiative aims to promote organized development in response to the rapidly expanding urban population and to offer improved housing options for residents. The government will provide up to 50% of the costs related to land acquisition as seed capital, available for a maximum duration…

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Cabinet Approves ₹3,630.77 Cr for Jewar Airport Road Connectivity

NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved a revised total capital expenditure of ₹3,630.77 crore for the development of road connectivity to the forthcoming Jewar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The proposed 31.42-kilometer corridor will offer direct, high-speed connections from South Delhi, Faridabad, and Gurugram to the airport, boosting economic growth and logistics efficiency across the National Capital Region (NCR), according to an official statement. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has endorsed a revised budget of ₹3,630.77 crore for creating greenfield connectivity to the airport via the Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Sohna Spur of the Delhi-Mumbai…

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Joint Panel Formed in Haryana to Investigate Illegal Tree Felling

GURUGRAM: In response to directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar has established a joint committee to investigate unlawful tree felling and unauthorized construction in the Aravali area of Raisina village, located in Sohna tehsil. The committee has been tasked with conducting an on-site inspection of Gair Mumkin Pahar land, characterized by rocky or steep terrain unsuitable for cultivation. The committee is to identify any violations of environmental and forest laws and recommend preventive and remedial actions. The four-member panel, led by the Sohna sub-divisional magistrate, includes a representative from the district forest office, the executive…

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Jewar Airport Set to Open Soon, Says Civil Aviation Minister

NEW DELHI: The government announced on Monday in the Rajya Sabha that the Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh has received its aerodrome license and will be inaugurated shortly. In response to questions about the Noida International Airport at Jewar during Question Hour, Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, stated that there is a typical timeframe of 45 days to two months from the issuance of the aerodrome license to the commencement of actual flight operations. “I’m pleased to share that the first aerodrome license has been granted by the DGCA following extensive consultations with institutions such as the Airport…

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Land Cleared for New Buildings at Damdama Basin, Aravalis

Representative AI image GURUGRAM: Significant alterations have been made to the land near Damdama Lake, including tree removal and the extension of an electricity line, to accommodate new buildings within this protected Aravalis zone. A 3km kuccha road has been created, running through the catchment area — a region safeguarded under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) which prohibits non-forest activities. The road begins behind the Damdama Tourist Complex managed by the Haryana tourism department and traverses the lake basin, linking newly constructed concrete structures. Initially 1.5km long in 2021, the road has now expanded to 3km, despite previous efforts…

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Maharashtra CM Advocates Metro Expansion in Pune’s New Areas

Representative AI image PUNE: The Phase-II expansion of the Metro system in and around Pune is set to gain momentum, as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced plans to enhance the transit infrastructure in several cities, including Mumbai and Nagpur. The proposed Khadakwasla-Swargate-Hadapsar-Kharadi line, along with new routes from Hadapsar to Loni Kalbhor and from Hadapsar to Saswad Road, aims to connect older city areas with newer developments. If implemented on schedule, these lines will significantly benefit countless commuters. Fadnavis stated that the state government is focused on expanding the Metro network and has approved the new lines in Pune and…

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Haryana Forms Panel to Draft Waste-to-Energy Proposal

Representative AI Image GURUGRAM: The Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) has established a committee to draft a model request for proposal (RFP) for waste-to-energy projects across municipal corporations in the state, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Hisar. These projects will be executed under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework. The ULB’s directive states that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has provided a model RFP to help states and ULBs develop technically sound and financially viable waste-to-energy initiatives. The committee is comprised of Dhirendra Khadgata, commissioner of the Faridabad municipal corporation; Pradeep Dahiya, MCG chief; Niraj, chief of the Hisar…